Drive or Fly: Carolina Beach, NC to City of Greenville, NC?

Side-by-side comparison of driving versus flying for this route. Costs, time, and trade-offs at a glance.

Driving wins

Medium

No scheduled commercial flights found for ILM–PGV. At 124 miles, driving is the only practical option.

Passengers:

Vehicle:

Find Your Vehicle (EPA fuel economy data)

Drive

Door to Door

2h 49m

Distance

124.4 mi

Total Cost

$62

CO2

50 kg

Cost Breakdown

Diesel$27

Hotel (1 room, 0 nights) $0

Meals (1 pax, 1 day) $35

+ No luggage restrictions or TSA lines

+ Comfortable one-day drive

+ Stop anywhere along the route

+ Have your own car at the destination

+ Likely faster door-to-door than flying

− Wear and tear on vehicle

− Fuel price fluctuations

Plan the drive

Fly

Door to Door

2h 48m

13m in the air

Air Distance

112 mi

Total Cost

$124

CO2

28 kg

Door-to-Door Timeline

Carolina Beach, NC → ILM 25m

Check-in & Security 90m

Flight 13m

Arrival & Baggage 30m

PGV → City of Greenville, NC 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $124) $124

Airports

Carolina Beach, NC ILM — Wilmington International Airport 16 mi, ~25m drive

City of Greenville, NC PGV — Pitt-Greenville Airport 3 mi, ~10m drive

No scheduled flights found

No commercial flights between ILM and PGV. Flight estimates above are theoretical.

+ Less physical fatigue

+ Predictable arrival time

− Airport security and check-in overhead

− No scheduled commercial flights found for this route

− Luggage fees and restrictions

− Less flexibility for stops along the way

Bus

FlixBus

Door to Door

4h 37m

3h 40m on road

Total Cost

$11

CO2

6 kg

Route

Greyhound US0658s

Door-to-Door Timeline

Carolina Beach, NC → Wilmington Cape Fear Public Transit (WNC6) 22m

Boarding 15m

Bus ride 220m

Arrival 10m

Greenville GK Butterfield Trans Ctr (GVE6) → City of Greenville, NC 10m

Cost Breakdown

Ticket (1 pax @ $11) $11

Estimated based on distance. Check flixbus.com for current prices.

Stations

From WNC6 — Wilmington Cape Fear Public Transit 15 mi, ~22m drive

To GVE6 — Greenville GK Butterfield Trans Ctr 1 mi, ~10m drive

Service

Direct

Frequency

~7/week

+ Usually the cheapest option

+ Wi-Fi and power outlets on board

+ No driving fatigue — relax or work en route

+ Much lower carbon footprint than driving or flying

− Limited schedule — about 7 trips per week

− Travel time longer than driving

− Need transportation to/from station

− Less flexibility than driving

At a Glance

	Drive	Fly	Bus
Door-to-door time	2h 49m	2h 48m	4h 37m
Total cost (1 person)	$62	$124	$11
Carbon footprint	50 kg CO₂	28 kg CO₂	6 kg CO₂
Flexibility	High	Low
Luggage	Unlimited	Restricted
Reliability	Weather dependent	Data unavailable

Drive data: OSRM routing, EIA fuel prices

Flight data: Statistical estimate

Airports: OurAirports

Transit: FlixBus GTFS — fares estimated

Confidence: Medium — airports identified, fares estimated

Costs are estimates. Actual flight prices vary by airline, date, and booking time. Drive costs based on OSRM routing, EIA fuel prices. Computed Apr 19, 2026.

Route Options

2 different routes between these cities.

Fastest

124.4 mi 2h 49m

via I 40; US 117; NC 132, NC 11; NC 55, NC 11

Alternative (+24 min)

161.7 mi 3h 13m

via I 40; US 117; NC 132, I 587; US 264, I 795

Decided to drive? See the full trip plan from Carolina Beach, NC to City of Greenville, NC with stops, fuel costs, and turn-by-turn directions.